NCAA Proposes New Top-Tier Subdivision for Football

[noDucknewby]

From Yahoo Sports:

 

NCAA proposing new college athletics subdivision rooted in direct athlete compensation

SPORTS.YAHOO.COM

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The NCAA will introduce a proposal that would grant certain schools more power to compensate athletes in a new way.

 

This proposal specifically exludes "pay-for-play" but the schools would directly control their NIL deals.  Seems like an inevitable next step to me.

Edited December 5, 2023 by noDucknewby
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[jrw]

Wait...there's still an NCAA?

[Babyjesus615]

If we really want to go the NFL Lite route, then by allowing schools to directly control the NIL deals they should insert clauses that incentivize players to stay. There should be language written in that says "you get X amount as long as you are a scholarship player". The NIL deals should come with owed buy-outs should a player choose to transfer. These deals can and should be treated like contracts. If a school forks out 2-3 million for a QB just to watch him transfer a year, or even two later, then he should owe a portion back.

 

The transfer portal era is so wildly uncontrolled and players are taking maximum advantage. There is no reason a school can't use the money in the NIL deals they are offering to their players to take advantage as well. It's only a matter of time before the legality of this is figured out.

[Jon Sousa]

NIL should never be controlled by the schools, except if the student himself chooses to be contractually committed to only one NIL deal.

 

NFL teams pay a massive amount of $$$ to their players. Those players are still free to get a side hustle of sports gear sponsorships, commercials, autograph signing, appearances on TV shows that pay them, etc.

 

Schools should be paying royalties to students, when their jerseys are sold with the athlete's number and name on them. They should also be paying them when the student does a commercial, representing the school. That is how NIL got started. Universities, for years, have taken advantage of money they make off the students and didn't have to share any of that money with the student.

 

Since the universities sell more tickets, and everything that goes with them, when the product on the field is better, I've got no problem sharing a little of that money with the young men and women who are the primary reason for that improved product on the field. 

 

 

[noDucknewby]

On 12/5/2023 at 12:10 PM, Jon Sousa said:

NIL should never be controlled by the schools, except if the student himself chooses to be contractually committed to only one NIL deal.

 

Bit of a disagreement here Jon, as I understand it third-party NIL deals cannot make the player contractually obligated to play for a specific school.  There's all kinds of gray area in the current NIL environment; players have had their deals revoked and conversely there is no real protection for the schools if a player bails.

 

Why not get it all out into the open and let the schools negotiate directly with the athletes for NIL deals tied to playing?  If a player can negotiate another side deal with Dr. Pepper or Google Shop, then more power to them.  

[Solar]

It will conform to Title IX. I think this may be a non-starter.

 

This is a dangerous period in college athletics.Thry is so much money flowing around that came from media deals that will not be worth as much in the future in a streaming paradigm, yet people are trying to set up a new framework that assumes the good time will continue.

 

If that ends up being the case, ALL the changes occurring for conference realignment and program investments will blow up in their face and will be undone.

 

I don't think we will settle on a long term via ble approach to college athletics for more than a decade.

[Solar]

On 12/5/2023 at 12:36 PM, noDucknewby said:

Bit of a disagreement here Jon, as I understand it third-party NIL deals cannot make the player contractually obligated to play for a specific school.  There's all kinds of gray area in the current NIL environment; players have had their deals revoked and conversely there is no real protection for the schools if a player bails.

 

Why not get it all out into the open and let the schools negotiate directly with the athletes for NIL deals tied to playing?  If a player can negotiate another side deal with Dr. Pepper or Google Shop, then more power to them.  

If the NIL and student athlete agents structure the contracts to each other's satisfaction then there would be no issues. But with NIL signing families I'm doubtful these NIL contracts are consistently equitable.

[Jon Joseph]

I'm a traditionalist at heart but if there is one thing in life that is permanent, it is Change.

 

Baker and the NCAA finally get it. By protecting Title 9, the stage is now set for Congress to give 'NFL Lite' anti-trust protection including protection from the NLRB and also protection when CFB transfers are reined in, perhaps a salary cap is imposed, etc.

 

I also like the In Trust concept. Players will be paid but payments will be placed in trust before an athlete finishes his or her eligibility by 4 years to play 5 or deciding to go pro.

 

This was inevitable. Size goes to size in big business and college sports today are big business.

 

If this measure is passed, Congress also may give teams like Clemson and FSU relief from exit fees keeping schools tied into a given conference. FSU wants out of the ACC even before it lost a playoff shot in a board room and not on the field of play. 

 

I'm not certain that all Power 2 schools will opt in if the measure is passed. Schools like Vandy and Northwestern come to mind. 

 

And CFB's future is all about the Power 2. In substance over form. 2 SEC schools and 2 B1G schools are playing in the final Final 4. Using the Committee's final 2023 ranking and adjusting for the 2024 realignment, 5 B1G schools, Michigan, UW, Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State would be in the 2024 PO along with 4 SEC schools, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Missouri. Ole Miss would be the 1st Power 2 school out. 1 B12 school, Arizona, 1 ACC school, FSU, and 1 G5 school, Liberty from CUSA would round out the field. 

 

I expect we will see this year after year and if the NCAA proposal is approved and the new format gets help from Congress, the PO could be a World Series between the top Power 2. Add Clemson, FSU, UNC, and a 4th team, Louisville, Miami, NC State, to the SEC and add say Notre Dame and AAU member and CBB power Kansas to the B1G and what school will be able to challenge for a title?  Spread some playoff sugar to the G5 to keep the pols and lawyers at bay.

 

Again, I believe this was inevitable and the NCAA knows that it must get ahead of the litigation and regulatory threats. 

[Solar]

On 12/5/2023 at 1:24 PM, Jon Joseph said:

I'm a traditionalist at heart but if there is one thing in life that is permanent, it is Change.

 

Baker and the NCAA finally get it. By protecting Title 9, the stage is now set for Congress to give 'NFL Lite' anti-trust protection including protection from the NLRB and also protection when CFB transfers are reined in, perhaps a salary cap is imposed, etc.

 

I also like the In Trust concept. Players will be paid but payments will be placed in trust before an athlete finishes his or her eligibility by 4 years to play 5 or deciding to go pro.

 

This was inevitable. Size goes to size in big business and college sports today are big business.

 

If this measure is passed, Congress also may give teams like Clemson and FSU relief from exit fees keeping schools tied into a given conference. FSU wants out of the ACC even before it lost a playoff shot in a board room and not on the field of play. 

 

I'm not certain that all Power 2 schools will opt in if the measure is passed. Schools like Vandy and Northwestern come to mind. 

 

And CFB's future is all about the Power 2. In substance over form. 2 SEC schools and 2 B1G schools are playing in the final Final 4. Using the Committee's final 2023 ranking and adjusting for the 2024 realignment, 5 B1G schools, Michigan, UW, Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State would be in the 2024 PO along with 4 SEC schools, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Missouri. Ole Miss would be the 1st Power 2 school out. 1 B12 school, Arizona, 1 ACC school, FSU, and 1 G5 school, Liberty from CUSA would round out the field. 

 

I expect we will see this year after year and if the NCAA proposal is approved and the new format gets help from Congress, the PO could be a World Series between the top Power 2. Add Clemson, FSU, UNC, and a 4th team, Louisville, Miami, NC State, to the SEC and add say Notre Dame and AAU member and CBB power Kansas to the B1G and what school will be able to challenge for a title?  Spread some playoff sugar to the G5 to keep the pols and lawyers at bay.

 

Again, I believe this was inevitable and the NCAA knows that it must get ahead of the litigation and regulatory threats. 

At some point meritocracy gives the existing B1G and SEC coat-tails rider programs the boot, to make room for Utah and other ACC and Big12 schools that are better.

[OregonDucks]

The NCAA needs a NIL salary cap and/or player maximums so that there continues to be some parity in college football.    

[Sunshine Larry]

I'm a bit sad to see it become NFL lite, but with the portal, NIL, and obvious playoff discrepancy. It's clear there are the haves and have nots.

 

I would have never thought an undefeated Florida State would be left out of the playoff. But that's what happens when it's not determined by standings. Make it a two league thing. Heck expand it to 16 teams.

 

Have the real players join one of the big two conferences. You can bet Florida State is gonna find their way out of the ACC now. Did you see how the SEC manipulated this past weekend? Meanwhile the ACC did nothing to pump up their champion. 

 

Programs like Purdue, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Rutgers need to be booted. Clemson, FSU, Miami, North Carolina will take their place.

 

If it's gonna happen, I would prefer it to just happen so we can adjust. A real playoff isn't about opinions. It's about standings. This year made it plain as day to me that the SEC gets preferential treatment(obvious I know), they will continue to get it. 

 

Let's just let the top 6 SEC teams, and the top 6 B1G teams qualify already. Enough if this nonsense of most deserving, best wins or less harmful losses. 

 

Also this may finally force Notre Dame to join or be left out.

Edited December 6, 2023 by Sunshine Larry

[1Funduck]

There is so much opinion on what should be done with NIL. The bottom line is that we live in a supply and demand society. No one here would like to be limited in salary and locked into a contract time line unless you are paid.  Wouldn't you like to get paid and have the opportunity to move to a different job if another employer finds you more valuable than your current one?

 

These kids get one shot to make as much as possible before they enter the working world. Most will never reach the NFL. They can leave college, limited to around 4 years, debt free and set for life. If you could go back in time, what advice would you tell your younger self? Play for a scholarship only, or get an additional $1 million per year by going to 2-3 schools? You would chose the latter. We all would.

 

 

I believe we tend to associate our ideas based on our Fandom link to a specific school. It gets a bit self-righteous at times especially when we forget how we act along the way ourselves.